Election Commission targets school kids to ensure high voter turnout in Delhi polls

New Delhi, Feb 4: To ensure a healthy voter turnout in the upcoming Assembly polls in Delhi, the Election Commission has charted a unique strategy. The EC has decided to take the help of government school students and get voter's pledge signed by their parents to vote on Feb 7.

As per a report published in The Indian Express, on directions from the Election Commission, the Department of Education has asked all school students to get signed pledges from parents stating they will vote on February 7 ‘to secure their child's future'.

"Dear Mummy-Papa, I know you love me very much and that you work hard day and night to secure my future. My future is also directly related to a strong democracy. So I want you to take a pledge today, that you will go and vote on February 7. I am sure you will keep your promise," the pledge addressed to the parents reads.

The electoral office in Delhi has distributed 15 lakh sankalp patras (pledge letters) across government run schools coming under MCD, NDMC and Delhi Cantt Board. The schools will distribute these letters to the students who will get it signed from their parents and submit them back. These letters will be collected by the electoral officers from all the schools by Feb 5.

This awareness exercise has been made compulsory by the Department of Education. The sankalp letter also urges the parents to encourage their friends and relatives to cast their vote on Feb 7.

Since, Feb 7 is Saturday, the electoral officials fear several families might leave the national capital on Friday night and go out for a vacation and this might affect voters' turnout.

In the previous assembly poll, Delhi recorded an all time high on voter turnout and the EC wants the same.